Skip to main navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

How to Get Stains Out of Soccer Jerseys

Soccer jerseys can end up nasty, especially if they're white, covered in grass, dirt, and mud stains. Learn how to remove stains from soccer uniforms.

More from Clorox experts
Back-to-school cleaning.

Ace your cleaning curriculum with Clorox products and tips.

Back-to-school cleaning.

Ace your cleaning curriculum with Clorox products and tips.

Question

My son’s white 100 percent polyester soccer uniform is dirt-stained.  How can I safely bleach it?

Answer

I have good news for you: polyester fibers can be safely bleached with Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach.  Chances are the shirt also has a player number and maybe even a name.  If those components are screen prints, then they should also be bleachable.  If they are sewn on, then as long as the shirt’s care label says “100 % polyester” and not “100% polyester exclusive of trim” then the shirt should still be bleachable and you can proceed as follows:

    • Start by rinsing away loose soil and ground-in dirt.
    • If the shirt is really dirty, then you could use a bleach soaking solution to really jump start cleaning.  For this, use ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach per gallon of water and fully submerge the shirt for 5 minutes.
    • Drain the soaking solution and then wash the shirt in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent + ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach.
    • If you have localized dirt stains, you could skip the bleach soak and instead pretreat with a bleach and water solution made with ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach added to ¾ cup water. Apply the bleach and water solution to the stain and then immediately machine wash the item using detergent and ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach

Whatever you do, don’t give in to the temptation to apply full strength bleach to stains — in time the area that was exposed to undiluted bleach could end up with a hole!